Toll Fees on Rental Cars - Complete Highway robbery

[spacejamz]

We rented a car to take a trip from Dallas to Indiana this past weekend...

I declined the Toll option since we weren't using the car in Texas (which was $12/day for each day regardless of whether or not you had any toll charges) but didn't think about the route to get to the interstate...ended up taking the 121 Sam Rayburn tollway to 75 to get to Oklahoma and we went through 4 toll stations (all automated so there are no tellers where you can pay cash)...according to the fine print in my rental contact, if you don't get the toll option, you will be charged a $15 administrative fee for each toll charge up to $90 for the duration of the rental agreement plus the actual toll charges...the actual toll charges were probably around $7 or 8 I think...

They did let me add the toll coverage when i returned the car which ended being $70 after taxes...

After returning the car, I just realized I could have pulled the toll tag from my car and saved $70...DERP!!!!

 

[JoeBleed]

so there are toll roads that have no way of paying if you don't have one of their rfid devices? how does that accommodate out of state travelers?

 

[spacejamz]

so there are toll roads that have no way of paying if you don't have one of their rfid devices? how does that accommodate out of state travelers?

I know for the all Texas cars and the adjacent states, they will find the car owner by their license plate...not sure about the other states....they do tack on fee to do this though...

 

[spacejamz]

looks like they use the license plate for all states now...

Out-of-State Vehicles – When you use a toll road, a photograph of your license plate is taken so we can identify the registered owner of the vehicle. The registered owner of the vehicle will then receive a ZipCash bill in the mail.

 

[thilanliyan]

I got done for that in Australia by Hertz...$5 toll and $20 admin charge...it was in the fine print.
I didn't actually know I was on a toll road though lol.

 

[boomerang]

Hmm, there goes that career being a toll booth attendant...

 

[spacejamz]

Hmm, there goes that career being a toll booth attendant...

The toll road from OK to MO had stations that had real people...FL has some as well....

 

[boomerang]

The toll road from OK to MO had stations that had real people...FL has some as well....

Yeah, but I think at least some of them are being phased out. I had a friend tell me that they were converting the one on I-75 South of exit 101 in FL to unattended. We ran into toll bridges on a trip from FL to MI that were unattended earlier this year.

 

[PottedMeat]

I know for the all Texas cars and the adjacent states, they will find the car owner by their license plate...not sure about the other states....they do tack on fee to do this though...

yup. went up 121 for some ikea crap, got a bill for ~$1 in the mail a few weeks later

 

[ronbo613]

I got a ticket for driving on a toll road in Colorado(I think) in the middle of the night. Didn't have a clue what was going on and there was no way to get off the toll road. Sucks.

 

[JoeBleed]

I know for the all Texas cars and the adjacent states, they will find the car owner by their license plate...not sure about the other states....they do tack on fee to do this though...

While it apparently isn't, this should be illegal as they didn't give you a choice and then they charge extra basically because they have to track you down? I've always known toll roads as privately owned and maintained. is that the case here or is it state run? if Private, why the hell are they being allowed to search other states DMV registration? hell, why is a state i don't live in allowed to search my state's DMV registration when there was no crime committed(should be police only)? I know some will say i was on a toll road without paying, but they didn't give me an option.

 

[dainthomas]

Floriduh has those things everywhere. Luckily the west coast doesn't have many.

 

[JoeBleed]

Wanted to add something to my post above. I can understand wanting to remove the salary of having booth attendants, but they could automate gates. I've done this several times at an extended parking lot at the airport.

 

[OutHouse]

so there are toll roads that have no way of paying if you don't have one of their rfid devices? how does that accommodate out of state travelers?

they scan your license plate and you get a bill in the mail.

 

[OutHouse]

I got a ticket for driving on a toll road in Colorado(I think) in the middle of the night. Didn't have a clue what was going on and there was no way to get off the toll road. Sucks.

i did this in Italy 1992 when on a road trip with the wife. I got on a Toll road by mistake and no intention of paying the huge tolls so I made a illegal UTurn by a tunnel to get the fuck out and man was the toll guy pissed. fuck you Italy.

 

[Homerboy]

Cant you just pay the tolls online?
That's all I do when I drive through Illinois -- don't have an iPass, but not going to stop in the $$ lanes either.
Then the next day go online, enter license plate #, tolls I went through and what date/time and done.

 

[Svnla]

I rented a cheap car from Hertz for a 3 days weekend rental (Friday pick up and Monday return) and I went to Dallas. Drove up from down town to north of DFW via I-35 and it was under a lot of construction and many of the regular exits were closed and it was late at night and I was tired so I made an exit onto a toll road (Sam Rayburn) so I could make toward my destination.

I thought it would be a few bucks for the toll road charge but a few weeks later, Hertz charged my CC for another $20 for admin fee (3 days) even I only used the toll road ONCE.

Talk about high way robbery.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

looks like they use the license plate for all states now...

Out-of-State Vehicles – When you use a toll road, a photograph of your license plate is taken so we can identify the registered owner of the vehicle. The registered owner of the vehicle will then receive a ZipCash bill in the mail.

Another reason to hate Texas. And another reason to have some electrical tape and knife to alter said plate.

 

[Paratus]

Just had this problem in NY. $22 a day F that!
We'll just pay cash. Hey where's the toll booth? FUuuccckkkk

 

[dullard]

Those fees suck, yes. Especially when tolls are unavoidable. But in most cases, tolls are easily avoidable. Open google maps, map your trip, click "Options", select "Avoid Tolls".

 

[Paratus]

Those fees suck, yes. Especially when tolls are unavoidable. But in most cases, tolls are easily avoidable. Open google maps, map your trip, click "Options", select "Avoid Tolls".

Where were you yesterday?

 

[dullard]

Where were you yesterday?

Most automated toll booths that I've dealt with let you pay online if you do it quickly (within a couple of days or so). Then you avoid any fees and/or tickets.

 

[feralkid]

Hmm, there goes that career being a toll booth attendant...

At least you made some friends during your 4 years in training.

 

[BurnItDwn]

so there are toll roads that have no way of paying if you don't have one of their rfid devices? how does that accommodate out of state travelers?

Lots of states each have their own system, but link to each other.

In in IL, I have an IPASS, Its useable on Illinois expressways, and in a bunch of other states.

 

[NoTine42]

Most automated toll booths that I've dealt with let you pay online if you do it quickly (within a couple of days or so). Then you avoid any fees and/or tickets.

I was going to say, I remember doing that when driving out to CA and going over the Golden State bridge and some other toll road around LA.